Ben Sasse: It's American to be skeptical of our government

Republican Sen. Ben Sasse (Neb.) recently appeared on MSNBC with Katy Tur to discuss whether or not President Donald Trump's administration could be trusted with matters of national security, especially in the face of Trump pre-emptively blaming the media and the court system for the next terrorist attack.

Sasse answered not by promoting partisanship and declaring that Republicans should be relied on to do the right thing but by advising that Americans should be wary of anyone with power.

"First of all, it is the American tradition that we should always be skeptical of our government," said Sasse. "So, regardless of who occupies the White House, and regardless of who represents you in the legislature, it is an American fundamental core belief to be skeptical of power, and especially be skeptical of the consolidation of power."

Sasse went on to explain that it's important to reaffirm that the three branches of government follow the Constitution and added that, instead of attacking one another, they're supposed to keep each other in check.

When Tur asked if Trump is attempting to consolidate power, Sasse responded that power consolidation is something that has been happening in the executive branch going back decades, creating executive overreach that has gathered more and more power over time.

"We have executive overreach," said Sasse. "Again, not just this administration, but administration over administration because we've had decades of legislative under-reach where the number one priority of most people who serve in the congress is their own incumbency, and their own reelection."

Skepticism surrounding our government is, according to a 2015 poll by Pew Research Center, at an all time low. The poll found that only 1 in 5 Americans actually trust their government with matters domestic and foreign.